What even is the point of Big Brother in 2025?
Twenty-four years ago, voyeurism alone was a powerful and unique selling point. The question now is whether Big Brother’s comeback can still resonate.
Last night, a familiar voice asked, “Are you ready to come home?” This voice belonged to Mike Goldman, the narrator of Big Brother Australia during both its original Channel 10 run and the Channel 9 revival. With that simple line, the new season made its intentions clear: it aims to revisit the series as it was during its early 2000s heyday.
Back then, Big Brother was a cultural phenomenon, introducing viewers to memorable moments like Chrissie Swan, Sara-Marie’s bunny dance, the dancing doona, and the infamous turkey slap.
For a period, Big Brother held a significant place in popular culture, offering everyday audiences nightly doses of sanctioned voyeurism and insight into human behavior when people forget they are being filmed for the world to see.
“Are you ready to come home?”
Big Brother first launched in Australia in 2001, shortly after the concept debuted in the Netherlands. Its name is drawn from the oppressive, authoritarian figure in George Orwell’s classic novel 1984.
But the underlying question remains: can the show truly regain its former cultural impact in today's media landscape?
Summary: Big Brother’s 2025 revival attempts to recapture its early 2000s cultural impact by revisiting its roots, but it faces the challenge of resonating in a media environment transformed by new consumption habits.